EDITORIAL: Mo Brooks wrong on Juneteenth vote

Jun. 20—U.S. Congressman Mo Brooks wants to be the next senator from Alabama. His "no" vote on the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act indicates he's not ready to take on that responsibility.

Juneteenth, called Jubliee Day or Emancipation Day in some areas, celebrates the end of slavery being announced by a Union Army general in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, and several other states have followed suit since then.

Brooks was one of 14 Congressmen to vote against making Juneteenth a national holiday. His opposition, he said, stemmed from his concerns about the cost of an 11th national holiday, which he estimated to be $1 billion in lost productivity.

He said that cost should have been offset by eliminating one of the existing national holidays. We asked if he'd suggested a holiday to be eliminated. His office did not respond.

We also asked if he, as an Alabama taxpayer, had similar concerns about the cost to Alabama regarding the state's Confederate Memorial Day holiday and Jefferson Davis Day, both of which are paid state holidays. Again, we did not receive a response.

More telling and problematic, however, was Brooks' statement concerning the date of the holiday. While acknowledging that the end of slavery was "huge for America" and should be celebrated as enthusiastically as July 4, he said it would have been better to celebrate the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the passage of the 13th, 14th or 15th Amendments or the end of the Civil War. His suggestion ignores that Black people across the country have been celebrating freedom from slavery for hundreds of years on June 19 and instead focuses on events that — while significant in our country's history — were the actions of white men.

It also overlooks the fact that 48 states currently observe Juneteenth as a day of recognition. While Brooks may have become aware of the significance of June 19 in recent years, it is not a new holiday; it is celebrated by millions of Black Americans each year.

Congress was right to pass this Act. The end of slavery should be celebrated by all Americans. Slavery is an immoral institution and we, as a nation, should come together to celebrate our country being freed of it.

Brooks seeks to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate. That means all Alabamians. His "no" vote on this act calls into question if he's prepared to do that.

— The Cullman Times